Tax Calculator

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Updated for 2026 · 30 comparisons

Quarterly Estimated Tax by State Comparison

Same income vignette in both states — who pays less per quarter after modeled federal income tax, self-employment tax, and state tax? Vignette: $75,000 1099 income · $8,000 expenses · single · $0 W-2 withholding · equal 25% quarters. Pick any two states or open a featured corridor.

By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026

15

Featured pairs

30

Compare URLs

$908

Largest featured gap

Lower /qtr

Winner rule

Compare any two states

Pick any two states to compare vignette per-quarter payments and income ladders.

Featured comparisons

Winner = lower vignette per-quarter payment. Click through for the scoreboard, income ladder, and due-date notes.

Biggest quarterly payment gaps

Ranked by vignette per-quarter gap among featured pairs (2026).

#ComparisonLower quarterly inQuarter gap
1Oregon flagOregon vs WashingtonWashington$908
2New Hampshire flagNew Hampshire vs MassachusettsNew Hampshire$778
3Georgia flagGeorgia vs FloridaFlorida$777
4Florida flagFlorida vs New YorkFlorida$691
5Texas flagTexas vs New YorkTexas$691
6Colorado flagColorado vs TexasTexas$685
7Texas flagTexas vs CaliforniaTexas$469
8Washington flagWashington vs CaliforniaWashington$469
9Florida flagFlorida vs CaliforniaFlorida$469
10Nevada flagNevada vs CaliforniaNevada$469
11Virginia flagVirginia vs MarylandVirginia$439
12Illinois flagIllinois vs IndianaIndiana$311
13Connecticut flagConnecticut vs New YorkConnecticut$222
14Arizona flagArizona vs CaliforniaArizona$80
15Pennsylvania flagPennsylvania vs New JerseyNew Jersey$5

Key takeaways

  • Vignette: $75,000 1099 income · $8,000 expenses · single · $0 W-2 withholding · equal 25% quarters. Winner on every pair = lower modeled per-quarter payment.
  • Largest featured quarterly gap: Oregon vs Washington ≈ $908/qtr (Washington pays $908 less per quarter).
  • National vignette spread: Alaska about $3,690/qtr vs Maryland at $4,817/qtr (≈ $1,127 apart).
  • Self-employment tax is federal and the same for the same net profit — state income tax is usually what moves the corridor.
  • Equal 25% federal quarters only; California and some other states may use different installment schedules on their own forms.

What this quarterly estimated tax comparison covers

Each state-vs-state page holds the income vignette fixed, models 1040-ES quarterly payments after federal income tax, self-employment tax, and state income tax. Winner = lower per-quarter payment.

Per-quarter payment

Annual amount due ÷ 4 under federal equal 25% quarters (Form 1040-ES).

Annual liability

Self-employment tax + federal income tax + state income tax where levied.

Quarterly gap

How much less one state requires per payment on the same income vignette.

Due dates

2026 federal dates: Apr 15, Jun 15, Sep 15, and Jan 15 of the following year.

Compare hub

What this quarterly estimated tax comparison hub covers

Self-employed and gig workers often ask which state means smaller 1040-ES checks. This hub holds income fixed ($75,000 1099 income · $8,000 expenses · single · $0 W-2 withholding · equal 25% quarters) and compares modeled quarterly payments under the same 2026 single-filer engine.

Featured corridors highlight common dual-coast and no-tax vs high-tax searches. Each pair page adds a scoreboard, income ladder, safe-harbor notes, and educational SEO.

1040-ES

What “quarterly estimated tax” means here

Estimated tax covers income tax and self-employment tax that are not withheld from a paycheck. Most sole proprietors pay four times a year on Form 1040-ES (or via IRS Direct Pay / EFTPS).

The vignette assumes $0 W-2 withholding and equal 25% federal quarters so state income tax is the main moving piece between corridors.

On the national vignette, per-quarter payments range from about $3,690 (Alaska) to $4,817 (Maryland).

Federal vs state

Self-employment tax vs state income tax

Self-employment tax (Social Security + Medicare on 92.35% of net profit) is federal. It does not change when you move from Texas to California with the same net profit.

State income tax (where levied) increases annual liability and therefore each equal quarterly payment. That is why no-income-tax states usually win these corridors.

Pair pages still show the SE tax line so readers do not mistake “lower quarterly” for “no federal tax.”

Limits

What these comparisons leave out

California’s 30/40/0/30 installment schedule, Form 2210 annualized income, underpayment penalty interest, and credits beyond W-2 withholding are outside the vignette.

Safe harbor is off on the hub vignette so current-year liability drives rankings — toggle it in the calculator when prior-year tax is known.

Canadian instalments use different CRA rules — use the Canada tax instalments planner for provinces.

Planning guide

How to compare quarterly estimated tax by state

    1

    Pick the corridor

    Open a featured pair or use the picker (e.g. Texas vs California). Both URL directions exist.

    2

    Read per-quarter amounts

    Lower quarterly payment wins the tax corridor on the locked income vignette.

    3

    Check state tax lines

    No-income-tax states still show federal income tax and self-employment tax.

    4

    Scan the income ladder

    Higher or lower 1099 income can change the dollar gap even when ranking direction stays the same.

    5

    Note due-date limits

    This hub uses equal 25% federal quarters — confirm state ES schedules when they differ.

    6

    Customize the calculator

    Re-run expenses, W-2 withholding, safe harbor, and filing status on the tool page.

Worked examples

Texas vs California

$3,690 vs $4,158/qtr — Texas pays $469 less per quarter.

Open →

Florida vs New York

$3,690 vs $4,381/qtr — Florida pays $691 less per quarter.

Open →

Largest featured gap · Oregon vs Washington

About $908/qtr — Washington pays $908 less per quarter.

Open →

Customize your estimate

Change income, expenses, and safe harbor in the calculator at /quarterly-estimated-tax-calculator.

Open →

Concepts

Per-quarter payment

Annual amount still owed after withholding, divided by four under equal federal quarters.

Self-employment tax

Federal Social Security and Medicare on net earnings from self-employment — same for equal net profit in every state.

Safe harbor

Paying 100% (or 110% if prior-year AGI was over $150k) of last year’s tax can avoid underpayment penalties even if this year is higher.

Equal 25% quarters

Default federal installment split used on these pages for apples-to-apples state corridors.

Myths vs facts

“No state income tax means almost no quarterly tax.”

Federal income tax and self-employment tax still apply. On this vignette even low-quarter states still show substantial payments toward a ~$75,000 1099 income year.

“Self-employment tax is higher in high-tax states.”

SE tax is federal. High-tax states usually raise the income-tax slice of the quarterly check, not the SE slice.

“Four equal IRS payments always match my state voucher.”

Some states use different installment percentages or thresholds. Confirm each state’s estimated-tax form when you file state ES payments.

“Safe harbor always lowers what I should pay this year.”

Safe harbor can raise or lower required payments vs 90% of current-year tax depending on whether income rose or fell. Compare both in the calculator.

Who these comparisons help

Good fit

  • Freelancers and gig workers comparing residence or domicile for estimated-tax cash flow.
  • People moving between a no-income-tax state and a high-tax state.
  • Anyone who wants engine-sourced quarterly gaps, not ballpark blog percentages.
  • Readers pairing 1040-ES planning with annual 1099 / SE tax tools.

Use caution

  • You need married filing jointly, dependents, or itemized deductions modeled in detail.
  • You rely on California’s non-equal installment schedule.
  • You need underpayment penalty interest calculated to the day.
  • Canadian instalments — use the Canada planner instead.

Checklist before you rely on a corridor

  • Confirm the income vignette (or re-run the calculator at your exact figures).
  • Note which state has the lower per-quarter payment and the dollar gap.
  • Separate SE tax (federal) from state income tax on the scoreboard.
  • Check whether your state uses equal quarters or a different ES schedule.
  • Decide whether safe harbor or current-year estimate fits this year.
  • Document assumptions when sharing numbers with a tax pro.

Common mistakes

  • Comparing annual SE tax rankings and assuming quarterly gaps match without checking state income tax.
  • Ignoring federal SE tax because one state has no wage income tax.
  • Using equal 25% IRS quarters for a state that publishes a different installment table.
  • Leaving W-2 withholding at $0 when you have a side job with withholding.
  • Skipping the income ladder when your 1099 total is far from the vignette.

Glossary

Form 1040-ES
IRS estimated-tax voucher / worksheet for individuals who expect to owe tax not covered by withholding.
Vignette
Locked income and filing assumptions so every state pair uses the same inputs.
Per-quarter payment
Modeled amount due for each equal federal installment on this page.
Safe harbor
Prior-year tax percentage that can protect against underpayment penalties.

Frequently asked questions

Each pair uses the same income vignette ($75,000 1099 income · $8,000 expenses · single · $0 W-2 withholding · equal 25% quarters) and models annual liability and equal 25% quarterly payments. The winner is the state with the lower vignette per-quarter payment.

Oregon vs Washington shows about a $908 per-quarter gap (Washington pays $908 less per quarter).

Yes. Use the picker on this page or go to /quarterly-estimated-tax-calculator/compare/{state-a}-vs-{state-b} (for example texas-vs-california). Featured corridors are listed below.

No — Social Security and Medicare self-employment tax is federal. State income tax (where levied) is what usually moves the quarterly payment between states on this vignette.

$75,000 1099 income · $8,000 expenses · single · $0 W-2 withholding · equal 25% quarters. Safe harbor is off. Re-run expenses, W-2 withholding, prior-year tax, and filing status in the quarterly calculator.

Customize estimates at /quarterly-estimated-tax-calculator. This page is the compare hub for state corridors.

Federal income tax and self-employment tax still apply. The quarterly amount can be large even when state income tax is $0.

No — pair pages use federal equal 25% quarters for an apples-to-apples corridor. California residents should confirm CA Form 540-ES installment percentages on the California calculator page.

People search both ways. Each URL carries the same engine data; the scoreboard still labels the lower-quarter state.

Related but different framing. This hub focuses on 1040-ES per-quarter payments and due dates; the self-employment tax by state hub ranks annual liability.

The vignette turns safe harbor off so current-year liability drives the comparison. Toggle safe harbor in the calculator when prior-year tax is known.

No — CRA instalment rules differ. Use the Canada tax instalments planner for provinces.

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